The invention relates to a coverable container for the seat-area of vehicles, particularly for arranging between the front seats of a motor vehicle.
German Patent Document No. DE 40 25 666 C1 discloses a container of this type, whose closure flap or closure cover functions as an arm rest or arm support. In this arrangement it is possible to pivot the flap, in order to access the interior of the container, through somewhat more than 90.degree. into its open position about its pivot axis arranged in the vicinity of the rear, narrow side wall of the housing. In the open position the flap is secured against falling back inadvertently by means of an arresting lever which consists of a slide lever and of a spiral spring. The arresting lever, which is retained pivotably on the hinge, engages with a latch provided in the flap interior, and which can be overcome by pushing the flap back manually.
German Patent Document No. DE 25 24 532 A1 discloses a hinge for pivot-up flaps in which a support lever is mounted pivotably on a hinge part. At its end remote from the pivot bearing, the support lever is guided, by means of two guide pins projecting from it at right angles, in each case in a guide slot in a U-shaped guide strip arranged on the other hinge part. The guide pins interact with a locking member which can be moved to a limited extent in the interior of the hollow guide strip, such that the flap latches after being pivoted up. By briefly pivoting the flap further upward, it can be released from the latching means and guided back into its closed position again. The locking member is spring biased in a lower end position and bears a ramp and a latching groove with an inlet and outlet opening. Upon opening of the flap, the parallel guide slots force the guide pins over the ramp (the locking member pivoting in the process) until the pins, at the end of the ramp, latch into the latching groove via the inlet opening and lock the support lever, and thus the flap, against falling back upon release of the flap. If the flap is raised somewhat, then the guide pins slide out of the latching groove via the outlet opening and, when the flap pivots back, slide over and beyond the locking member, to be precise on its side remote from the ramp. The flap thus moves back into its closed position without obstruction.
The object of the present invention is to provide an improved container having a closure flap, serving as the arm rest, of the type mentioned above, such that, for the purpose of changing the vertical orientation of the arm rest, the flap can be transferred into a plurality of fixedly predetermined pivot positions and, in each pivot position, can reliably support the arm resting on the flap. In this arrangement, the function of the flap for releasing and closing off the container is not to be subjected to adverse effects.
This object is achieved according to the invention, in which by means of a mechanism of simple design, the flap, which functions as an arm support, is latched securely in a plurality of stages, which permit different adjustment of the flap and thus a different vertical position of the arm rest, and moves back into the closed position again after covering a relatively long pivot path, at the end of which the container opening is in a fully released position. In this arrangement, the design of the guide track prevents latching from taking place in an undesired manner, and even prevents any noticeable tendency thereof, upon pivoting-back of the flap.
According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, in order to realize the changeover means for the guide pin, the latching spring is so designed, and is arranged relative to the guide track and to the support lever such that, over that displacement path of the support lever which extends over the latching-groove region of the latching strip, the latching spring acts on said support lever with a tensile force which forces the supporting lever towards the latching strip. Farther along the upwardly directed displacement path of the support lever, the spring is first relieved of tension and then compressed. The upper junction of the two track sections of the guide track is arranged in the region where the latching spring becomes compressed. This configuration has the advantage that there is no need for any additional structural elements to change over the guide pin in the two "upwards" and "downwards" displacement phases of the support lever.
According to a further embodiment of the invention, the guide pin is preferably arranged on the support lever in the vicinity of the latching lug thereof. The latching spring is designed as the tension spring which is fitted at one end on the supporting lever, in the vicinity of the guide pin, and fitted at the other end on the latching strip, at a location which is next to the upper end of the guide track.
In an alternative embodiment of the invention, the means for changing over the guide pin utilizes not only the latching spring, but also an additional spring. The latching spring is arranged as a tension spring, and acts on the support lever with a tensile force which is effective over its entire displacement path. The spring forces the support lever in the direction of the latching strip. In contrast, the second spring exerts a force on the support lever, in the region of the upper junction of the track sections of the guide track, directed away from the latching strip.
According to another advantageous embodiment of the invention, the latching strip, the guide and the latching spring and also the second spring, are arranged on the hinge which establishes the pivot axis of the flap. The hinge is fastened on a vertical housing wall. In this manner, after the housing has been installed in the vehicle, the flap can be mounted, very quickly and easily with the pre-mounted structural unit comprising flap and hinge. During the pre-mounting of the structural unit, the lever arm is fastened at a pivot point in the cover and inserted into the guide track by means of its guide pin. Thereafter, the latching spring is fitted on the lever arm and on the latching strip.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.